


You draw, I write

by LightsOut



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Charles Xavier has a Ph.D in Adorable, Erik is a Sweetheart, Getting Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-15
Updated: 2014-09-15
Packaged: 2018-02-17 13:23:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2311142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightsOut/pseuds/LightsOut
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erik is a successful artist and he's been in love with Charles Xavier for years.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You draw, I write

Erik kept the sketchbooks he didn’t want anyone to see underneath his bed. There was nothing bad in them but there was a large part of him that didn’t want them on display. The subject was always the same but every picture was different. There were hands and feet and expressions and they ranged from portraits and snapshots to full-body images. He’d drawn the same thing from different angles over and over again. It would be polite to call it an obsession at this stage. However, he couldn’t stop himself. By now it was routine. It helped him to wind down at the end of the day or take his mind off a particularly frustrating project.

He was focusing on the fingers against the temple when his phone started to ring and he dropped his pencil in surprise. He sighed and answered the phone, “This is Erik Lehnsherr.” 

Erik’s eyes flicked guiltily to the notebook in his lap when the man on the other end answered, “Erik, it’s Charles. I was wondering if you’d read the new contract yet.” 

Erik looked at the thick sheets of paper that were lying on his desk, “I’ve read part of it.” 

Charles made an unhappy noise, “You’ve had it for over a week Erik. Don’t you want to work with me anymore?”

Erik silently cursed. Not working with Charles would be good for his sanity but he was apparently too masochistic for that. Erik worked to keep his voice level, “Don’t be ridiculous Charles. I’ve just been busy. My mother wasn’t very well so I was staying with her for a couple of days.” 

Charles gave a long, drawn out sigh, “You’re such a good man Erik. You should take whatever time you need. Can I come and see your new stuff tomorrow? I’ve been really excited to see what you’ve got.” 

Erik closed his eyes and barely stopped himself from groaning, “Sure, tomorrow is fine and I’ll sort out the contract for you. Good night Charles.” 

Charles chirped happily, “Good night Erik.”

Erik put the phone down and sighed as he looked down at the portrait of Charles that was looking up at him from his notebook. God help him, he was in love with Charles. 

Charles Xavier was Erik’s rich benefactor in the public’s point of view. Actually he was an unlikely friend in Erik’s eyes. Charles had stumbled across Erik’s art work when he’d been hunting for a place to escape a disgruntled one-night stand and he’d immediately offered his impressive resources. To a struggling artist who was poor as dirt Charles Xavier was a dream come true. 

Of course, Erik had refused at first because his pride wouldn’t let him accept the help of a rich university student who was studying something Erik still didn’t fully understand. Charles had followed him around for days with that puppy-like expression until Erik had finally caved. Since then they’d worked together and Erik wasn’t poor anymore. Charles had even met and charmed Erik’s mother who was one tough cookie. 

Erik had accepted that he was in love about six months after he’d first met Charles and that was when the drawing had started. At his last count Erik had fourteen notebooks which were all sketches of Charles. It was his little secret and if he had anything to say about it Charles would be the last person to ever find out. He wasn’t going to ruin a friendship that had lasted a surprising five years by admitting to his little crush. 

For now, he was putting away his notebook and going to bed. Hopefully his dreams wouldn’t be solely focused on Charles, although he doubted it by his point. 

Charles came by early in the morning the next day like he always did and Erik greeted him with a grunt. Charles was dressed in a cardigan and slacks like he usually was and Erik was wearing one of his many turtleneck jumpers with soft denim jeans. Charles constantly joked that they were the only items of clothing that Erik owned which was close to the truth. 

Charles handed him a cup of take-out coffee, “So, what have you got for me Erik?”

Erik as forced to remind himself silently that it wasn’t the come-on line he wanted it to be and he turned to stroll through his studio, “Paintings mostly. A couple of portraits, some landscapes and a few abstract pieces that I know you like.”

Charles was as enthusiastic as ever, “Excellent. I’m sorry that I haven’t been around much for the past month Erik.”

Erik shrugged and sipped his coffee, “Don’t worry about it Charles. You have a lot of obligations.” 

Charles reached up to grasp Erik’s shoulder, “I’m sorry, my friend, and my obligations are a pain in the ass.” 

Erik gave a surprised laugh, “Yes, well, rather you than me Charles. So, what do you think?”

Charles nodded at the pictures that were displayed around the room, “Exquisite as always. You know, I was wondering if you had the time to draw me. I’d ask for a painting but is that too pretentious?” 

Erik almost choked on his coffee, “You want me to do a portrait?”

Charles shrugged, “I’ve got a few pieces of your art Erik but I want something more… personal, I guess. Would you mind?”

Erik tried to keep his responses under control. Charles didn’t know that Erik could probably draw Charles in his sleep and Erik wanted to keep it that way. 

Erik nodded in response to Charles request, “I’d be happy to draw you. I did that portrait for your sister last Christmas so this isn’t much different really. So, what type of picture do you want Charles.” 

They worked out the details. Charles wanted a portrait that would capture everything from his shoulders upwards and he wanted it to be at least a little bit serious. Charles told Erik that he’d rather have Erik paint him than anyone else and Erik couldn’t refuse a request like that. Erik would find out the real reason for Charles wanting a painting of himself later. Despite Erik’s protests Charles insisted on posing. Erik let the subject drop fairly quickly because he didn’t want to accidentally blurt out that he didn’t need Charles to pose because he pretty much had every feature of him memorised. 

Before Charles left that morning because of his unfortunately busy schedule Erik handed him the contract from his desk, “It’s all signed Charles. You’re stuck with me for another year at least.” 

Charles clutched it to his chest and grinned, “Wonderful. Thank you, my friend. I’ll be back tomorrow then.” 

Once the door was closed Erik moved back through his studio and collapsed onto his bed, face-down, with a groan. Thank god that he was a good artist and the detail of he was bound to put into Charles’ painting wouldn’t look suspicious. He really needed to do something about his hopeless crush on the man. 

Erik rolled onto the floor and dragged out the box filled with his sketchpads from underneath the bed. He didn’t do this often but, he did it more than he was comfortable admitting. Erik dug through the box for the earliest sketchpad and he flipped to the first image of Charles he’d ever drawn. It wasn’t as detailed as his more recent sketches but it was his favourite. It was a picture of Charles’ profile looking away at something in the distance and Erik had sketched it impulsively. They’d been sitting together, playing chess in the park, when Charles had grown distracted and Erik’s hand had picked up the pencil before he’d realised that he was going to draw. He’d closed the sketchpad as Charles turned back and Erik had moved his black knight on the board to deflect any questions and it had worked. Erik wasn’t even sure that Charles had realised he’d been drawing because Charles had a habit of getting lost in his thoughts and not paying attention to what was happening around him. 

Now Erik would have the opportunity to do a real picture of Charles and then maybe he’d be able to put away the sketches of Charles for good once he’d indulged in one last picture. A picture of Charles by him and one that Charles was going to keep. 

When Charles knocked on the door the next day Erik had his studio cleared and set up for a new project. Erik liked to work in a neat, open space which was very different to Charles’ private study which was filled with books and heavy furniture and a thousand other things. Charles handed Erik the take-out coffee he had in his hands and Erik took it gratefully. Charles always brought something with him even though Erik insisted that he could buy his own coffee. 

Charles practically skipped into the studio, “So, what do I do? I’ve never posed for a painting before.” 

Erik snorted, “Relax, Charles, really you don’t even need to be here but I won’t turn down the offer of your company. Just sit in that chair over there and try not to get too bored.”

Charles sat down, “Do a lot of people pose for you?”

Erik sat down on his own stool in front of the easel that was turned away from Charles, “Not really. My mother’s sat for me before though and a couple of other people.” 

Charles smiled, “Was that for the picture above your mother’s mantelpiece?”

Erik smiled as he thought about the picture Charles was referring to, “Yeah, that’s the one. She was the subject of the first ever portrait that I did. I keep telling her that I can replace it with a better one but she refuses to let me.” 

Charles laughed, “Good, it’s a beautiful painting Erik.” 

Erik shrugged and moved his pencil across the paper, “What’s the picture really for Charles?” 

Charles sighed, “Mother claims that it’s a tradition in the Xavier family to be painted. She offered to call someone but I refused. I’d rather have you.” 

Erik bit his lip against the words that fought to get out and eventually he grunted and said something else, “Thank you for asking me Charles.” 

Charles shrugged, “There was no one else. So, are you going to paint it?”

Erik chuckled, “Let me get the drawing out of the way first, please. You really don’t have to be here for this if you find it boring.” 

Charles pouted, “Sorry, am I distracting you?”

Erik sipped his coffee, “Not at all. I know what I’m doing and I told you, I won’t turn down the company. I just don’t want you to get bored. I know that just sitting there isn’t the most exciting thing in the world.” 

Charles perked up, “Do you mind if I sit and read then?” 

Erik waved his hand, “Not at all.” 

After ten minutes of silence Erik’s eyes flickered to Charles and he paused. Charles had his head tilted down as he concentrated on the words and two fingers were pressed to his temple while his thumb brushed the curve of his jaw slowly and he reclined in the armchair. It was a position Erik had seen before but he’d never been able to capture it on paper because there was always something missing. 

Moving as quietly as he could so that he didn’t disturb Charles Erik changed the half-done, rough sketch for a fresh sheet of paper and he started again. Charles was lost in his book and his own thoughts so Erik was free to look for as long and as hard as he wanted to. He took that liberty while the tip of his pencil scratched across the surface of the paper and left marks behind. 

Erik’s brow furrowed in concentration and his hair was pulled into wilder tangles as he ran his hands through it repeatedly while he worked. Eventually his stomach rumbled and his looked at the clock. He’d been sitting for four hours and the picture only needed a few finishing touches. It wasn’t exactly what Charles had asked for and Erik swapped the paper so that the almost completed picture was underneath the picture he’d started with that day. 

Erik stood up and gave a full-body stretch, “I’m going to go and get a couple of sandwiches. Do you want anything in particular Charles?” 

Charles looked up with a small smile and stretched out his legs, “Not really, you know what I like. Do you need any money?”

Erik rolled his eyes, “I think that I can manage. I’ll be back soon.” 

Erik grabbed his keys and left his apartment. There was Subway that was usually pretty busy but it was close by and Erik hadn’t gone grocery shopping for over a week so anything at the apartment would be probably un-edible or unhealthy. Charles had a thing about healthy eating that always affected Erik more when they spent time together. 

When he finally made it back to his studio Erik almost dropped the sandwiches when he saw what Charles was looking at. Without turning around Charles told him, “This is amazing Erik.”

Charles had flipped the pictures so that he was looking at the one of himself reading. Erik fidgeted uncomfortably, “It’s not quite finished.” 

Charles turned around and he was smiling, “When it is can I have it? Just the sketch. It’s amazing Erik and I’d much rather have this than any painting. Of course, I still need the painting to satisfy my mother’s request.” 

Erik nodded and studiously avoided eye contact, “Of course you can have it Charles. If you’ve got an hour I should have it finished by then.” 

Charles reached out for his sandwich, “Let’s eat first.” 

When Erik had finished the picture and handed it to Charles he felt strange. He was glad that Charles liked the picture but it was surreal that Charles was actually seeing one of the (many) pictures Erik had drawn of him. 

Charles slid it into the large folder Erik had given him to protect it and he grinned, “Thank you Erik. It’s the best present anyone has ever given me.” 

Erik blushed slightly. Charles had offered to pay for it but Erik had rolled his eyes and told him to consider it as a present. It was the only way that Charles would’ve accepted it really and Erik had the excuse that Christmas was only in a month’s time. An early Christmas present sounded much better than the fact that he was feeling guilty because he had so many pictures that Charles didn’t know about. 

Charles put the picture by the door and he followed Erik into his open-plan kitchen, “Can I come over again tomorrow? I know that you don’t need me here but I’d rather sit here and read than be at home.” 

That wasn’t the first time that Charles had said something like that and Erik didn’t have the heart to refuse, “Of course you can Charles. I might even buy some food before tomorrow.” 

The next day Erik’s luck finally ran out. Charles was prowling restlessly around the apartment and Erik didn’t have time to call out before Charles tripped and he came face-to-face with the clear box underneath Erik’s bed. Erik panicked which was really the wrong response and he scrambled from his stool to get to Charles. 

Charles reached out with curious fingers and he tugged the box towards himself, “What are these?”

Erik’s voice was frantic, “Rejected sketches. Doodles really. Not something I want anyone to see.” 

Erik went to grab the box but Charles was quicker as he grabbed a sketchpad and opened it. Erik eyes were wide with panic and Charles looked slightly confused, “This is me.” 

Erik’s stomach sank as Charles started to flip through the book and his eyes widened, “They’re all me.”

Erik stammered, “It’s not really…” Charles picked up another book and Erik flinched, “Please, don’t Charles.” 

Charles looked up at him with a confused expression, “Why do you have so many drawings of me?”

Erik wasn’t the type of man who would run from a confrontation but at that moment he would rather be anywhere else, “I just draw them. It, calms me, I guess. It’s no big deal really. You are basically my best friend.” 

Charles pointed at the box, “There are over ten sketchbooks here. Are they all filled with drawings of me?”

Erik shoulders slumped and he looked away as he admitted quietly, “Yeah.” 

“Why?”

Erik flinched, “Please, Charles, just let it drop.”

Charles stood up and strode towards Erik, “Why?”

Erik closed his eyes, “You don’t want to know.” 

Charles’ tone was hard, “Tell me, Erik.” 

Erik whispered, “Because I’m in love with you.” 

Erik expected it but he collapsed to his knees with the force of his heart shattering when Charles practically ran for the door and he left. Erik looked at the pile of sketchpads with watery eyes and then he curled up on his side and tried not to cry for hours. 

Getting up was the last thing that he wanted to do. He’d never felt so… hollow or broken before and he wasn’t sure how to deal with it. He didn’t want to deal with it. His mind kept straying to random thoughts like how he’d not eaten since breakfast or that he needed to order more red paint. Staying curled up on the floor was all that he wanted to do, possibly forever. Even when he heard his front door being thrown open he barely glanced in that direction as he stared at the paper cut on his finger that he’d not noticed before then.

Incredible blue eyes dropped into his line of sight and Erik scrambled back until he was practically underneath the bed, “Fuck off.” 

Charles pushed something towards him, “Just, just look at this Erik.” 

The last thing Erik wanted to do was follow any order from the man who’d run away when Erik had finally admitted how he felt, “Go away Charles and leave me alone. Feel free to rip up that contract and send back my paintings.”

Charles growled, “Fine, I’ll read it.” Charles picked up the book he’d tried to get Erik to look at and he read out loud, “I saw Erik today. He was in the supermarket and he looked exhausted. I made him go home and I picked up the rest of his shopping for him. He would’ve argued if he’d not been about to fall asleep in the dairy produce section. When I dropped it off he was asleep on top of the covers. He’d not even managed to get undressed before he’d fallen asleep. As I watched him sleep for a moment I realised something. I’m in love with him. I won’t risk our friendship though. I love him far too much for that.” 

Erik froze and crawled part way out from underneath the bed slowly, “Love?”

Charles shrugged, “You draw, I write. I’ve always kept journals. This one is from about a year after I first met you which is why it took me so long to get back. I had to find it first.”   
Erik closed his eyes, “I thought that you’d left.” 

Charles caressed Erik’s cheek gently with his hand, “I would never do that to you Erik. I was just surprised and this was the only thing I could think of to get you to believe that I felt the same way. I love you Erik. I’ve loved you for a long time now and you wouldn’t believe how much of a relief it is to find out that you feel the same way about me.” 

Erik relaxed, “I can believe. I feel the same way.” 

Charles stretched out on the floor so that he was facing Erik and they kissed gently. Charles pulled back with a small laugh, “We’re such idiots. We’ve wasted so much time.” 

Erik hummed in agreement and slid his long, artistic fingers into Charles’ hair, “Maybe, but now we can make up for that Charles. I’d never thought that we’d get that chance.”

Charles brushed his lips against Erik’s, “I’m sorry that I left. Do you think that you can come out from underneath the bed now?”

Erik grinned sheepishly, “It is rather cramped under here. Would it be terribly pathetic for me to ask you to never leave me like that again?”

Charles smiled gently and kissed him sweetly, “Not at all.” 

Erik climbed out from under the bed and Charles chuckled slightly when he saw that Erik’s black turtleneck was dusty. Erik brushed himself down and said defensively, “My vacuum broke and I’ve not had time to get a new one.” 

Charles wrapped his arms around him, “I don’t care Erik. So, what do we do now?”

Erik leered and when Charles laughed he relaxed. Erik’s arms came around Charles so that they were hugging and he said thoughtfully, “Well, we could go and get some dinner if you want. Or we could stay here and then we could dress down instead of dress up.” 

Charles laughed, “Subtle, Erik. Tell me, are any of those drawings of me nude?”

Erik groped Charles ass, “No, but if you’re willing to pose I could change that. Are you sure that the pictures aren’t weird?”

Charles blushed, “Remind me to show you some of my other journals at one point. It’s only fair really.”


End file.
